Technical Advances in Agriculture in China

One of the most important fundamental commodities that are critical to man’s existence is food. In this regard, a country’s agricultural backbone is vital to sustain the way of life for its citizens. Without a sound food and agricultural support system, the country’s continual development in all other areas including economic, cultural, social and industrial aspects will simply move forward at a very slow rate or even not at all.

Food production and agriculture is given more meaning and importance in China than in other developing countries in Asia, due its need for domestic support and its continuously ballooning population and high income growth. China’s efforts towards agricultural development and domestic food production has grown rapidly and impressively in recent years, paving the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization, which had virtually closed its doors to China until reforms in these areas were been met – and the country has succeeded in doing so.

China’s efforts in the food production and agricultural field have been very impressive as compared to any other country in the Asia Pacific region. Food per capita has increased, rural incomes generated become substantial and robust, and China has continued to be a major net exporter of agricultural products. This can be attributed to the concerted focus on developing food sciences and technologies and using these technical advances to improve agriculture and food production.

One good example is the use of scientific and technological advances in China’s Jilin Province in the northeast, where more than 264 improved crop breeds were developed, 80 of which have been used successfully in production. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, more than 220,000 farmers participating in training programs in this area, the satisfactory results and community involvement in this region speaks for the rest of China in the country’s sustained efforts in furthering improvements and advances in agriculture and food production for the nation.

A Background of Agriculture in China: Challenges and Needs

The challenge in China, is in the area of producing an adequate supply of food through agriculture, food production, processing, handling and distribution. To achieve this, labor-saving innovations and technologies should be established resulting in high-levels of production stability and large scale production output with a focus on single crops or livestock. China has managed to sustain this, resulting in significant advances in the agricultural field.

This was not the situation, however, several decades ago, particularly the years after 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was established. Agricultural land, cultivated and used for thousands of years in China’s long history, had lost most of the organic matter and nutrients needed to sustain a good agricultural yield. The impact of this situation on China’s growing population was severe, resulting in more than 30 million people dying of starvation in the aftermath of China’s Great Leap Forward.

China had no recourse but to eventually rely on chemical fertilizers to increase production, with the government helping out by increasing imports, providing price subsidies for farmers, establish cultural reforms and the abolishment of the commune system, allowing farmers to privatize their farm lands. The result was a significant increase in grain production, with farmers empowered to sell crops in excess of their grain quotas at profitable market prices.

However, the resulting economic gains had some significant drawbacks as the use of chemical fertilizers as well as pollution-creating agricultural run-off from farms posed environmental concerns, which threatened China’s aquatic resources and viable sources of drinking water. In this regard, technical advances are needed to provide more agricultural technologies that yield sustainable economic yields, while at the same time provide ecologically and environmentally sustainable options.

Calls for the building of a new socialist countryside have been put forward during the Fourth Plenary Session of the 10th National People’s Congress, by providing a systematic improvement of agricultural production through the use of improved agricultural related technologies, resulting in more economic and more effective means for food production. This not only includes efforts in improving grains and crops, but should also include a separate focus on livestock development, while taking into consideration related environmental and ecological concerns.

Recent Technical Advances in Agriculture and Their Benefits to China

China’s efforts in improving agricultural yield and food production have led to several technological and innovative advancements that helped catapult China’s overall agricultural industry into one of the most successful the world over. The use and development of technological advances in this area has moved from government financing to technologically-inclined corporations wanting to open up new markets.

One classic example is the development of the super hybrid rice variety by Yuan Longping. Companies providing seeds and technological know-how on super hybrid rice have partnered with townships to generate better yields. Results showed better yield per mu (0.67 hectare), providing farmers with more income using the same tracts of land.

Several regions have also stood out in the use of technological advances for better yields, particular the northeast province of Jilin, which ranked first in the country in per capita grain yields. These include corn, rice, beets, millet, small red bean, sorghum, soya, sunflower, wheat, tobacco and 60 other green foods already developed for production, which is part of the more than 127 varieties already developed in the province. Aside from that, the province has also excelled in advancements in other agricultural industries, which include cattle, pig, chicken and forestry.

In terms of livestock development, China’s LEAD or Livestock Environment and Development Initiative has worked with the Research Center for Rural Economy or RCRE of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to establish what they called “livestock revolution.” resulting in quadrupled production in livestock output during the last 20 years. These efforts include developing technical advances in improving the modern feed industry as well as developing solutions to livestock-related environmental issues.

According to figures available from the Crop Science Society of China, the development in other crops and grains has also yielded superb results similar to those achieved in the development of several varieties of the super and hybrid rice. Foremost are the developments in wheat breeding, the second largest crop in China, which showcase higher yields, higher gluten quality, and resistance to stripe rust, scabs, mildew and other diseases as a result to biotechnical breeding. There are over 300 varieties already developed that can yield an average of 3.8 tons per hectare.

The third largest crop, maize, has also been developed through germplasm improvement and development as well as biotechnical breeding to produce the hybrid maize, which produces higher yields and greater resistance to diseases. The same advancements were also adapted to the development of cotton, which is the most important fiber crop in China with approximately more than 4.2 million hectares grown annually. Other crops include soybean and rape, which are important oil and protein crops in China.

Aside from crops and livestock, technical advances in other agricultural products have also been developed and used in China, resulting in better agricultural yields. Foremost among these advances is the introduction of the new soil conditioner BGA or the Beijing green Angel. BGA is made from a composite of corncobs, dead wood, straw, sawdust and other shavings and was developed to improve the quality of the soil to make it more effective in saving water, resistant to desertification and drought, improve disease resistance in crops and improve crop yields.

The introduction of BGA to agricultural lands makes crop yield positive in extreme weather and environmental conditions such as cold, drought, alkaline soil, low sunshine, high UV radiation, and pollution. BGA is pollution free and environment friendly unlike traditional fertilizers, pesticides and other biological hormones that farmers have used over the years. It is a totally green solution to agricultural development.

The use and applications of these technological developments have enhanced the quality of crop production and livestock generation in China, while maintaining and safekeeping environmental aspects. These are critical in sustaining the developmental goals of the country for the rural community and the agricultural countryside, which is vital for the overall development of the country in all aspects including cultural, sociological and technological.

These developments are also vital in ensuring food security for a country that is known to suffer the effects of an ever-growing population, coupled with an industrial and economic revolution that is forecasted to be unparalleled in the near future. Frontier developments in agriculture as well as food production development have also taken into account the environmental aspects usually associated with these areas.

These challenges are not unique to China and are also typical in other parts of the world. Food security, environmental concerns, and agricultural sustainability are some of the needs and challenges that governments and societies in most developing nations are totally concerned with. Learning the methods and successes achieved in China would be one great step that would benefit societies tremendously, in order to address all the concerns that each of their respective countries are facing.